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The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) was previously the Joint admissions board (JAB).It is the admissions body that conducts the admissions to the public Universities, private universities, and mid level colleges.

So, here’s a small explanation of how the KUCCPS
(formerly the Joint admissions Board ) conducts the admission process. Just after the KCSE results are released, KUCCPS sits and sets the cut off points. The cut off points for the 2013 KCSE candidates was a B for male students and a B- for female students. The lower points for the female students is considered to be some form of affirmative action to increase the number of female students enrolling in universities.

After the cut off points have been announced, the KUCCPS uses what is known as the weighted cluster points to select the candidates to the various courses. The weighted cluster points is a derivative of the overall aggregate points and the raw cluster points required to pursue a certain course. The raw cluster points are made up of the individual subjects that are required to study for a certain course. For instance, if one wanted to study medicine, the raw cluster points would be made up of English/Kiswahili, Biology, Chemistry and Math/Physics. The maximum raw cluster points is 48 whereas the maximum weighted cluster points is also 48. If you core all As, no doubt your weighted cluster points will be 48. Now, if the overall aggregate points and the raw cluster points start reducing, the weighted cluster points will also begin reducing.

Now, each course has a minimum weighted cluster point that a candidate should have in order to pursue the course. For instance, weighted cluster point for medicine and actuarial science usually hovers at around 47.7. However, due to increasing competition, KUCCPS has introduced a third metric into the equation, the overall mean marks scored in the final exams will also come into play. This will be especially crucial in key courses such as medicine and engineering. If you are have not been able to meet the weighted cluster point for the first choice, KUCCPS, will simply move on until your last choice to allocate you some course. If after that they haven’t assigned a course to you yet, KUCCPS will invite the candidates over for the second revision so that the final list of candidates to various courses and public Kenyan Universities can be prepared. It is only then that KUCCPS will publish the final list of the selected candidates to various courses.

There is a last and final chance to revise courses, but this only happens once the student joins campus. In the first or second week, the academic registrar or the Faculty head will allow students to change coruses within the university, and provided one has met the minimum requirement to be selected for a certain course, they will be allowed to select a new course. Some students may wish to transfer to a course offered in another university. Although it is not impossible, such transfers are rare and time consuming. So, it is always advisable to transfer to a course that is offered within the university. Nowadays, thanks to many public universities implementing the double intake strategy, Form Four graduates only stay at home for nine months before joining campus, unlike in previous years where they used to stay for close to two years.

As people get increasingly weary of the environment being polluted , one can expect to work in a variety of areas. For instance,one can expect to work In NEMA ( National environmental authority), in manufacturing companies, helping the company be environmentally compliant. AS the fear of global warming and the emission of gasses into the environment increases, you cane expect that companies will expect to be on the safe side. So, you are likely to find work in any medium to large size factory/manufacturing company, environmental conservation efforts, water and sewerage town councils amongst other employers, of course not forgetting large employers such as UNEP and other NGOs/ non-profit organizations.

I hv bin admitd at karatina 2 tek applied statistics with computin,plz mr mabinda guide me thru the interuniversity transfer procedure,i had 42.1 as cut off pts for engineering and i would seek transfer to mombasa poly to tek either electrical or civil eng, how am i goin to go about it and wat r the requirements 4 u to b sure,..plz help

-You will have to write a letter to the registrar of academic affairs at Karatina, the dean of the faculty you are in ; I'd assume it is Maths/computer science and/or the chairman/chairperson of the department seeking a transfer to Mombasa polytechnic. The reasons should be explicit and well explained.

- It would also be safe to write a copy of the same three letters to Mombasa polytechnic, seeking a transfer there. ( The academic registrar, the dean and the chairman/chairperson of the department you wish to transfer to.-The nature of the transfer process is such that you will have to follow up frequently, and possibly do some visiting and traveling here and there.The two institutions will arrange, but you have to follow up an be persistent, and the process may also be frustrating. I'm quite sure you will qualify for civil engineering at Mombasa Polytechnic, I'm not sure if you will qualify for electrical engineering.

Hope I answered you, if you did not get the answer for the question you were looking for, you can ask again.

I'v been selected to pursue B.Eng(Mechanical Eng) at Kenya Poly but plz advice between Mechanical and Civil Eng which is better so that I can maintain or change to civil Eng as soon as I get there.PLZ advc.

Both courses require one to be good in Math, In Civil engineering, you have to be good in drawing, Math and structures to excel in the profession. In mechanical engineering, you will have to be good in Math, some bit of basic drawing and be good in design, carrying out maintenance,fabrication of parts from metals and other materials. Due to ongoing construction and infrastructure projects in the country, there is a high demand for civil engineers. You will be able to perform more design work. On the other hand, mechanical engineering areas that are in high demand currently are in the energy sector, such as geothermal, wind and solar. I cannot tell you one course is better than the other, but just give you a guideline , based on what I just described above. You can read more about the courses, and then you can make your own judgement about which course suits you. You can check on the side bar for more information about the courses.

will it be possible for one to realy alter the course that you have been assigned to...? and please briefly comment on bachelor of arts(mathematics and economics) and the various universities where it is offered

It may be possible to change your course, although it is by no means easy. Changing to a course that is offered within the University you have been admitted to is fairly straightforward. You will be given the opportunity to change the course within the first two years of joining . You will state the course which you want to change to, attach a copy of the results slip and if you meet the cut off points and the other requirements, you will be accepted.

On the other hand, changing to a course that is offered outside your University is a bit complex, and you are never guaranteed of its success. You will write a letter to the academic registrar stating that you wish to change the course. The academic registrar of your university and the university to which you wish to transfer to will then arrange for a transfer if you meet the minimum requirements and if there is a space in the course you wish to join.

Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Economics is offered in many public Universities. Such Universities include UON, Kenyatta, Moi, Egerton , Maseno, MMUST among others.

Economics and Mathematics complement each other, since the mathematical techniques are important in analyzing many economic problems. You will be using graphs, mathematical equations in great detail to analyze such concepts as scarcity and choice, why some societies are poor and others are rich, supply and demand, econometrics amongst other areas.

Many graduates of Mathematics and economics work in Finance institutions such as banks, investment banks, mortgage lenders, helping the banks in their investment decisions, government departments, NGOs helping to alleviate poverty, micro finance banks, asset management companies etc. Some graduates are also employed by market research companies such as synovate, consumer insight, Strategic PR,infotrak. In research organizations that deal with research in various disciplines such as KARI,(Kenya Agricultural research institute,) Agra among others.

In case you need any more clarification, please feel free to ask.Thanks.C.O.K MabindaEditorKenyan campus Blog.

Levis asked about hostels near main campus, I'm not sure of any of the hostels that are near the main campus. The ones I have in mind could be some walking distance, and if you use a matatu, you need ten shillings up to town. There are many hostels around Ngara/Parklands area. However, there are more female hostels in the area than there are male hostels. The average prices usually range from about kssh.5,000 to kshs.7,000 per month. Breakfast and supper (weekdays) are included in the price.On weekends, all meals are included. You could start searching from where the KenGen/Kenya Power headquarters offices are and search within a radius of 1 km within that area. There are many hostels over there.

B.Sc(Health Records & Information Management) entails the study of health management, and keeping patient records, e.g records of diseases, the diagnosis of the patients, information on the health of the patients etc. Such information is crucial for the well being of the patient and Health records and Information management professionals will be critical in this. Due to the increasing use of computer technology, you will be taught many computer skills needed to perform this job well. Some of the skills will include database management systems,systems analysis, some statistics and other essential skills.You will work in public as well as private hospitals, in personal clinics of doctors,in insurance companies, where you will help the insurance companies calculate the premiums that their clients need to pay for their health insurance etc. Ministry of health and other related areas. The starting salaries vary widely, but should be anywhere between kshs.25,000 and kshs.50,000.

The fee for regular students within a particular University is the same, regardless of the course the students are pursuing. The fee for JKUAT regular (government sponsored)students is usually between kshs.35,000 and kshs.55,000 per year. The last I checked was two years ago, so that's why I have given you the wide range, since I'm quite sure the fee today is slightly higher than the fee two years ago. In case you get the Helb loan, kshs.8,000 per academic year will go directly to the University as fees, so, you will just subtract the amount you need to pay by kshs.8,000.Pharmacy is a five year degree course.

In case you need any more clarification, please feel free to ask.Thanks.C.O.K MabindaEditorKenyan campus Blog.

About someone that wants to change from one university to another, I had already commented on that. However, here's the process again.

Changing to a course that is offered outside your university is quite lengthy and tedious.

-You will have to write a letter to the registrar of academic affairs at your current University, the dean of the faculty you are in ; I'd assume it is Maths/computer science and/or the chairman/chairperson of the department seeking a transfer to your preferred University. The reasons should be explicit and well explained.

- It would also be safe to write a copy of the same three letters to your preferred university, seeking a transfer there. ( The academic registrar, the dean and the chairman/chairperson of the department you wish to transfer to.-The nature of the transfer process is such that you will have to follow up frequently, and possibly do some visiting and traveling here and there.The two institutions will arrange, but you have to follow up an be persistent, and the process may also be frustrating.

About deferring, students do defer( for one or two years; sometimes even three years), but that is not a matter that is handled by Jab, it is handled by the individual university you have been admitted to. The academic registrar, the dean of the faculty and the chairman/chairperson of the department you have been enrolled in will help you. You will write a letter, stating explicitly why you want to defer. many students do defer for various reasons, some want to take some time out to relax and refresh before they can come back, some students want time t launch their own ventures, some students just want a long rest, some have health reasons, some students do get pregnant and want some time off to nurture their baby before returning back to school. I have not heard of a case of a student that has been denied a deferment if they had a genuine reason. You will just come back and continue from where you left, of course, your previous classmates will have moved on, so you will have to be acquainted with a new set of friends. Hope I clarified everything.

In case you need any more clarification, please feel free to ask.Thanks.C.O.K MabindaEditorKenyan campus Blog.

About someone that asked about geology;The question of experience is not unique to geology alone, many fresh Kenyan graduates in varied professions are facing the same problem of experience. From computer science, engineering, to business management to Geology and other courses, the problem of experience is there. You can leverage that problem by:

- Treating the attachments you for as some sort of experience. You can form networks at the place where you will get attachment and you can hopefully return there to seek for a job. ( I suppose every course has a requirement for one to go for an attachment in the third year or so) and get industry skills. That is not hard to get, and many companies are actually willing to offer students attachments. - Get unpaid internship, but take care not to be misused, some companies actually like taking advantage of fresh graduates who are willing to volunteer.Those are some of the methods you could use so as to bypass that problem.

Anyway, some companies do recognize that when they employ you, you do not have the necessary practical skills to carry out the job. So, many sensible companies these days employ you as a graduate management trainee, a graduate trainee, so that they revolve you around the various departments in the company and then after two years, they will post you to your job/area expertise. The trend is catching on, and hopefully by the time you have completed,many companies will have embraced that.

About the starting salaries, and whether the six figure salary is too unrealistic, yes, only a few companies offer that kind of package. The rest (including the government) have starting salaries of about kshs.30,000).

However, if you have a few friends, just ask about the starting salaries at Kengen and Geothermal Development Company (GDC), and you will be surprised at the answers.

Hope I answered your question correctly. If you need any more clarification, you can always ask again.

Hi, is Bsc. Statistics marketable in kenya and where can someone seek employment after doing it. Second, is Bachelor of Quantity survey offered in JKUAT.Hi, is Bsc. Statistics marketable in kenya and where can someone seek employment after doing it. Second, is Bachelor of Quantity survey offered in JKUAT.

BSC statistics, as with many courses in the country has as many graduates as there are job opportunities. There are certainly rewarding jobs that are at the top end, but you really have to stand out. Some of the fields that statistics graduates work in include research in market research firms such as synovate, consumer insight, infotrak, strategic PR etc. They also do work in the finance industry where the mathematical and quantitative skills are important. The ones who work in the finance industry do take additional professional qualifications on the side, such as Certified Public Accountants (CPA), Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) or the ACCA exams. In the finance industry, you can work in banks, in accounting and professional auditing firms such as PWC, KPMG, Deloitte, Ernst&Young and many more accounting firms, in insurance industry, where they help calculate premiums and compensation levels for clients. It would help if you also pursued qualifications such as CPA, CFA or some computer certifications if you want to work in the finance/insurance In other research organisations e.g Kemri, KARI where they help compile research data for meaningful interpretation.

About quantity survey in JKUAT, it is not offered in JKUAT. It is offered in UON and other universities. However, JKUAT offers a related program, BSC in Construction Management.(It's a five year course) You will learn technical drawing, how to conduct a project and and how to manage property.

Hope I answered your question correctly. If you need any more clarification, you can always ask again.

Based on the cut off points, electronics and computer engineering has one of the higehst cut off points in the country, at just about 47.

The regular student cut off points for Telecommunications and information engineering is between 45 and 46.7 . The cut off grade for parallel students in both courses is a C+. So, it seems that based on that fact alone, many brighter students are choosing to enroll for electronics& computer engineering than those enrolling for Telecommunications.

However, there is isn't much of a difference in the curriculum of the coruses, given that both are related of electrical and electronics engineering. Actually, in many campuses, the students pursuing those two courses share about 95% of the classes.

Hope I clarified everything. In case you you need more clarification, you can always feel free to ask.

several eng. courses in various universities have not been approved by ERB but are still being taught,is it a risk and does this compromise the quality of the same courses. Does ERB have the mandate to disaprrove these courses? please enlighten me.

is Mulitimedia uni.v college currently offering a degree course in electrical & electronic Eng? If so which is it a better course compared with telecommunication and information Eng. based on factors like employment/job opportunities and marketability in Kenya. Where is one likely to be employed? Thanks.

It is true that some engineering courses have not been approved by Engineers Registration Board.(ERB). The Universities affected include Kenyatta University, JKUAT, Egerton and some other Universities.

Kenyatta University is the most affected in this, as many new engineering courses were introduced recently. ERB argues that some courses are subsections of the mainstream engineering degrees, and thus, should not be offered as a full degree. ERB considers that the mainstream engineering courses are mechanical engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, civil engineering and Biosafety (Agricultural engineering). mechatronics engineering was also added to that mix.

Now, ERB argues that such courses as electronics and computer engineering, telecommunication and Information Engineering,Geospatial engineering, computer engineering are but subsections of electrical and electronics engineering.

It argues that such courses as energy engineering, mining engineering, materials engineering, marine engineering are but subsections of mechanical engineering.

However, some are pointing out that ERB's refusal to register some courses is but an attempt to safeguard the status quo, and keep the old guard networks. Technology has changed so much and it is hard to understand why ERB would refuse to register some courses. For instance, telecommunications, energy and the renewable energy sectors are fields that are growing rapidly, and it is hard to understand why ERB would refuse to register such courses.

Granted, there are some Universities that have started courses without any regard to quality, but I believe that should not warrant the excessive regulation by ERB. Some Universities have since opted to change their curriculum somewhat in order for their courses to be more aligned with what ERB demands.

It is important for ERB to recognize a course simply because they are the ones who issue the professional certification. After you graduate from University, you merely get an academic qualification. However, if you want to become a real engineer that practices in the field, you would have to be registered by ERB. This will be important in securing employment, since it helps differentiate between you and some other quacks who pretend to be engineers. For example, if you are to be offered employment in a company such as KenGen and Kenya Power, you would have to produce the academic degree certificate and the professional certificate from ERB. Additionally, if you were to found your own engineering consultancy or firm, you will need to be properly registered in order to win projects.

At the moment however, the Commission for Higher Education (CHE), is mediating between the Universities and ERB, among other professional bodies.

The problem is not restricted to engineering alone, for instance, First year Law students at Kisii University have been told to wait at home until LSK (Law Society of Kenya) approves the course.

Hope I clarified everything. In case you need more clarification, you can always feel free to ask.

About Multimedia University; It should be offering a course in electrical and electronics engineering. Both electrical and electronics engineering are related, although it is fair to say that telecommunications engineering is a new spin off from electrical and electronics engineering. Therefore electrical and electronics engineering has a much wider market than telecommunication engineering.

With electrical and electronics engineering, you can work in both the traditional electrical fields, such as in heavy power in manufacturing companies, as well as the emergent fields in the telecommunications industry.; this would include TV and radio broadcasting, mobile phone companies, satellite communication companies, computer companies, IT companies etc.

In telecommunication engineering, you are somewhat restricted to only the emergent fields such as mobile phone companies, satellite communication companies, computer companies, IT companies etc.

As might be expected, the starting salaries in the new fields such as mobile phone companies is higher than in the older fields such as heavy power.

Hope I clarified everything. In case you need more clarification, you can always feel free to ask.

How is the quality of a degree course in Electrical and Electronic Engineering offered at Multimedia Univ. college. are graduands and those in attachment section from Multimedia competetive and marketable.and since it is a constituent college of jkuat,does this mean that this course is also not approved by ERB? thanks admin.

Electrical and electronics engineering is approved by ERB, in any case, the other courses that have not been approved by ERB will be approved soon. That shouldn't bother you at all. Electrical engineering graduates of Multimedia University as well as JKUAT are both marketable, and both can get work in telecommunication, media, computer and IT, manufacturing companies amongst other companies.

Hope I clarified everything. In case you need more clarification, you can always feel free to ask.

Hi admin,there is this course i'd like to know about;computer science i.e. what its all about,is it the similar to IT,its marketability and job opportunities+salary in kenya and if its best offered in Multimedia Univ. Thanks a lot.

Computer Science is in some ways related to IT. However,Computer science is more in depth, that's why, someone needs to have done Physics in order to study it. Apart from the applications such as programming, system analysis and design, animations, web design and other application skill areas, you will also learn the theory behind computing. Mathematics; such as algorithms will also be an important subject in the discipline. So, you can decide to either practice in the field or continue studying and undertake some more research. In the side bar on this blog, there is an extensive article on computer Science and IT.

Hospitality and tourism management has all to do about management of hotels and conferences,recreational parks, tourist attractions, national parks and game reserves, tour guides and tour companies etc. The sector has been expanding widely, especially as tourist numbers have kept on increasing after the dark moments of the post election violence. You can work in hotels, in conference facilities, in tour guide companies, in national parks and game reserves, Kenya wildlife service etc.

Hi! As I had said earlier, salaries in the computer science field depends to a much extent to the practical and on the job skills that you have. When starting out, you might need to be a more hands person and then with time, you can progress to the managerial roles.Since, let's face it, it's very hard for an employer to trust you with a very sensitive systems and Computing networking for the company. In addition, many employers are reluctant to train a person from scratch since the person would look for greener pastures as soon as they get the necessary training.

If you are starting out, you will need to be good in the following areas, Get good grades, from where the company might train you for a more managerial role. Alternatively, you can be exceptionally good in any of the skills in computer science, for instance, deep knowledge of such programming languages as Java, C++ and other object oriented programming languages; i.e programming languages with a mostly scientific application, XHTML and other web design programming languages, graphic design and animation (for the creative people), PhP,SQL etc. If you are good in a number of the above skills, then no doubt, you will be very marketable.

The starting salary for computer science professionals is anywhere from between kshs.25,000 and kshs.110,000 per month. (especially those that work in the telecommunications sector). If you are exceptionally good in programming, then you can make a very good career as a software developer, systems analyst, network analyst, and such careers are very very lucrative. If in addition, you add a few of the certifications above, then you can be very highly sought after.

Hope I clarified everything. If there is anything that is not clear, you can always feel free to ask again.

Bachelor Arts communication and media is quite wide. You can specialize in the following areas:Print media (magazines, newspapers, publications), broadcast media ( radio, TV and video production) and Public relations. You can work in media companies as a writer for newspapers and magazines, a journalist for radio and TV, a communication officer for a company, releasing press statements and presenting a good image of the company to the public. Starting salaries are somewhere between kshs.28,000 and kshs.40,000 per month.

About the starting salary of bachelor of Arts degree General, it depends which specialisation you did i.e sociology, international relations, math, statistics, linguistics, History, anthropology, literature etc. The starting salary varies from about kshs.20,000 to kshs.45,000 per month.

In IT, it depends on how good your practical skills are. If you extremely talented in IT areas such as programming in Java, C++, and other languages, graphics and web design, systems and network analysis,data analysis then your eranings are comparatively higher. The starting salary is generally between kshs.25,000 and kshs.75,000. IT careers in telecommunication and satellite companies usally pay the highest. IT graduates can work in almost any industry, as vitually every company uses IT nowadays to streamline its operations.

If you can combine the IT skills with such skills as accountancy or statistics, then your marketability will increase further.

About the difference between Bachelor of Arts in economics and Bachelor of economics, it just depends on the University.

For some universities, bachelor of Arts in Economics is one of the specializations in the bachelor of Arts General course. So, you might also do some other units in sociology, anthropology and other arts related courses. It's more suited if you are looking for a career in such fields as development and community organisations, NGOs, micro finance institutions etc.

On the other hand, Bachelor of economics is more in depth, meaning that it covers economics to a greater detail and scope.It has more mathematics/statistics/finance units.It's probably more suited if you are looking fro a career in finance, banking, statistics and insurance companies and government ministries.

Still some other universities use the terms interchangeably to denote the same course.

Instrumentation and control engineering is closely related with electrical and electronics engineering. You will get to work in electrical projects that involve power, transmission of electricity and automation. At the moment , the market for control and instrumentation engineering is the same as electrical and electronics engineering (power option).The 2010 KCSE students admitted to JKUAT may be admitted some time next year.

BSC electrical engineering is more grounded in the science and theory behind electrical engineering. The students re more grounded in design and are suited for careers in research and careers in teaching universities and academia in general.

On the other hand BEng is more grounded in the application of the engineering knowledge to practical problems in the field. One is more skilled as an electrical engineer.

To tell you the truth, the market for the two courses in the country is largely the same. Both sets of graduates work in the same industries and companies; partly due to the small job market in Kenya. Among the companies that both groups of graduates work in include mobile phone companies, telecommunication companies, media and broadcasting companies, manufacturing companies, universities etc. the start pay should be anywhere from kshs.30,000 to kshs.65,000 per month.

To receive career advice, information on courses and Universities,JAB news, start pay of various careers, SMS the word CAREER to 5242. To stop receiving the messages SMS STOP to 5242.

Hi Mr Mabinda,Is it possible to transfer from Kenya poly faculty of Commerce to Egerton the same faculty though Egerton university KCSE 2010 candidates have already commenced their classes and Kenya poly are yet to.If it is possible pliz advice me how I can go about it.Thanks.Hi Mr Mabinda,Is it possible to transfer from Kenya poly faculty of Commerce to Egerton the same faculty though Egerton university KCSE 2010 candidates have already commenced their classes and Kenya poly are yet to.If it is possible pliz advice me how I can go about it.Thanks.

Hi! It would be extremely hard to transfer, now that Egerton University have already commenced their classes. You can however approach the dean /and or the academic registrar with a letter intending to transfer to Egerton University. Even though it would be close to impossible to transfer at this point, there is no harm in trying. But even if you don't BCOM at Kenya Polytechnic is also marketable and competitive; and so you shouldn't be worried. or probably you want to transfer so that you don't stay at home for long, believe me, that time at home would elapse sometime, and it would really be bad to base your decision on joining Egerton University early by some weeks or few months.

To receive career advice, information on courses and Universities,JAB news, start pay of various careers, SMS the word CAREER to 5242. To stop receiving the messages SMS STOP to 5242.

HI sir av been called to narok university college to pursue comp science. please inform me the quality of the course in the university and its marketability. I'll appreciate so much if you also inform me about the reporting dates. thanks in advance.

Now, in Kenya, there is not much of a difference between universities. All universities are of largely the same quality. What matters is the course studied, and the grade/overall mark that one graduates with. So, your overall grade is much more important than the University you attended. Mass communication graduates work as print( newspapers and magazines/publications), broadcast (TV and radio), digital journalists. They can also work as public relations (PR) officers in companies, communication officers, where they help communicate the company's vision and policies to the outside world.

About computer science at Narok University, as I said above, what's important is how well you do in the course, not the University you attended. The universities in the country are of largely the same quality. Computer science graduates work as programmers/coders and software developers, developing applications for simple and complex problems. they also work as data analysts, graphic and web designers, animation/cartoon experts,network and system specialists amongst other specializations. Since every company these days has an IT/computer science department, you are likely to find work in many places. What is important however is that you are also good in practical skills. You can add such additional qualifications as Cisco networking, Oracle database systems to enhance your marketability. I'm not sure about the reporting dates at Narok University.

About the cost of electrical and electronics engineering at JKUAT University, It costs between kshs.200,000 and kshs.250,000 per academic year for parallel/self sponsored students, regular/government sponsored students pay between kshs.40,000 and kshs.60,000 per academic year.

SMS the word CAREER to 5242 to receive Joint Admissions Board (JAB)news, career advice, information on courses and Universities, start pay of courses etc.

For optometry, there are no prerequisite professional qualifications required, other than the fact that the curse is recognized and registered by the Medical officers and practitioners.

About posting the opening dates for University, I wish you would have told me which University in particular. There are over thirty private and public Universities, and it will take quite some time to post their dates here, unless you would tell me which university and campus you would want me to post here.

Food Science and Nutrition and Food Science and Dietetics are almost the same courses, related in almost every way. I suppose different universities would name the course differently. The marketability, start pay and professional for the courses is almost the same.

SMS the word CAREER to 5242 to receive Joint Admissions Board (JAB)news, career advice, information on courses and Universities, start pay of courses etc.

hi ,when is moi university admitting its 2010 students they are so cool thus rising uncertainity in many of us as many universities admit their students 4 instance maseno in january, jkuat and others like kenyatta have already enrolled.

Hi, I will lump all the above six questions into one. Both BSC Civil engineering and BEng civil engineering have the same job prospects. It depends on what you want. In Kenya, the job market is the same for both sets of graduates. In abroad, the BSC Civil engineering will continue into careers in research and academia, while BEng Civil Engineering will most likely go to practice in the field.

The market for agribusiness management is almost the same as that of Business administration/ Bachelor of Commerce or Business Management.Save for a few agricultural units, you will deal with same aspects of managing and running a company. Such common aspects will be finance and accounting, strategic management, economics, marketing and sales. You can find work in such agricultural corporations as ADC, Kenya seed, AFC, in banks, finance and economic institutions etc. Additional courses and certifications to help you would include CPA and computer certifications. Starting salary should be anywhere from kshs. 25,000 to Kshs.50,000.

About the opening dates of MMU, I don't know the opening dates of MMU, but will inform you as soon as I know.

Bachelor of science has many specializations. In First and second year, you will choose either the Physical or the Biological Sciences. In third year you will get to specialize in Math, Physics, Math and Computer Science, Zoology, Botany, and Chemistry and Biology. The marketability will depend on what you choose, but it is fair to say that courses the most marketable courses has been in the Math/statics/computer science discipline followed by the others.

About the admission dates for Moi University, I'm not sure, but it should be next year, seeing as Moi University is not going to implement the double intake.

SMS the word CAREER to 5242 to receive Joint Admissions Board (JAB)news, career advice, information on courses and Universities, start pay of courses etc.

1.btn B.Scie.(civil engineering) and B.Eng.(civil engineering) which is better rewarding in terms of pay locally and abroad?2.Also is civil engineering course offered at Mombasa poly registered by ERB and what is it quality? 3.Coz Mombasa poly is a constituent college of JKUAT can i transfer the course later and pursue it in JKUAT coz now i cant join JKUAT as my cluster points are at 45.7?

Bachelor of hotels and hospitality management is quite a marketable course, you'll deal with issues such as conference organizing, hotels management, tourism and leisure management, tour guides. You may seek work in hotels, tour guide companies,catering, conference and outdoor companies, tourist and leisure parks amongst other. The only downside is that sometimes, the profession depends on the tourism numbers, which can fluctuate sometimes due to travel warnings to Kenya as happened recently after the kidnapping of time tourists in Lamu. Other than that, there is no cause for concern.

Hi David, some of the questions I had answered previously. Anyway, BSC Civil Eng and BEng Civil Eng are similar in almost all respects. The only minor difference is BSC Civil Eng is more geared towards academia and research, whereas BEng is geared more towards the practical engineering field. In many cases, the courses can serve the same purpose, both locally and abroad.(although may be the difference is more pronounced abroad.) In terms of pay, remuneration, career progression, there is not much of a difference.

I believe the Civil Eng at Mombasa Polytechnic is registered by ERB.It would be hard to transfer to JKUAT at the moment, but you could write a letter to the academic registrar at Mombasa polytechnic, who may initiate a transfer to JKUAT. He/she will advise you on the next steps to take.

SMS the word CAREER to 5242 to receive Joint Admissions Board (JAB)news, career advice, information on courses and Universities, start pay of courses etc.

About the best field to specialize in computer science, that depends a lot on your talents and abilities. If you are a good coder/programmer, one who is good in logic, then programming is a good specialization.If you are a creative person, then you graphic design/animation and web design are good fits.If you are good in Math/Physics, then database, programming in the various languages such as java/C++, algorithm design, networking etc are good fits.

If you want to defer, that is a matter that should be handled by your university.Many universities only condition is that a deferral cannot be taken more than three times, and any one deferral shouldn't take more than two years. Other than that, you will simply return and pick up from where you left.

please advice me whether computer science is really marketable and also in the university can i change from comp. science to medicine after a semester(am a JAB 2011 Kenyatta university student for comp science)

Hi, i am a 2010 student and i happened to know through the JAB message that i had qualified for Environmental and Natural resources Management.Mid November i happened to see a news paper announcement that stated the names of those students who will be joining on 9th january at SEUCO a branch of nairobi university.i didn't see my name unfortunately.My question is:Does it mean i will be going to Seuco instead of Nairobi University Chiromo school of Biological sciences.

I'm sure that will be handled by the University's academic registrar. You can make a call to the academic registrar to find out, or visit the main campus along university way. What I know is that seuco is a university college affiliated with the University of Nairobi.

Hi, thank you so much for the time you are taking with students...I've learnt through the jab website that i have qualified to study Bachelor of Economics at UON..I'd like to find out how much the course costs and when is the reporting date.

UON students will report some time much later in the year, around May/June. The costs are the same for regular students, roughly between kshs.35,000 to kshs.52,000 per academic year(both tuition and room fees). However, helb loan may help offset some of the fees.

Hi C.O.K, I had been admitted to KU for comp science,is it possible for me to change to another cause if i wait for 2011 KCSE candidates to be admitted to the university and the then apply for a transfer to another course?

I'm not sure whether you sat for KCSE in 2010 or 2011.All in all, course transfers are initiated through the academic registrar and/or dean of faculty. Provided you have met the cut off cluster points for the course you wish to transfer to, then your request will be granted, and of course, if there is enough space in the course to cater for all that might to transfer to the course.

Hi C.O.K,I am a JAB student and I have been in campus for one semester now,but i wish to change my course.Can i do so if i apply for a transfer during the forth coming Jab intake to the university,that is say in September.please assist.

You simply can't change after that long, if you would have requested for a change within the first two/three weeks, that would have been understandable. I don't know of any public university that grants a change to a different course after a semester. Right now, you can only change to a parallel degree program.

Yes it's true. Apparently, UON was the only university that wasn't keen on implementing the double intake and so the 2010 KCSE candidates have had to wait for a longer time than other public universities.

Agricultural economics is more like Economics, so wherever an economics graduate would find work, you will also find work. Agricultural economists tend to find work in various agribusiness sectors, in such parastatals as KCC, KFA, ADC,in agricultural research institutions such as KARI, KEPSA, Agra, in microfinance institutions that work with farmers, in bans and financial institutions especially as advisory to farmers, or assisting the bank lend loan to farmers. A significant majority also find work outside the profession, since, as you may discover later on, the first degree just opens doors to a wider world, and thereafter, one can really pursue anything that they deem fit professionally, academically or business wise.

Hallo,don't be stressed about filling those JAB forms.You can still fill the same forms during course revision.JAB will announce the revision dates and there you can get the chance of filling those forms.Thank you

As as I know, the cut off medicine was somewhere around 47.3. For you to change, you will have to wait until you join campus, in the first two or three weeks, you will get an opportunity to do so, through the academic registrar or through the dean. You must however meet the minimum course cluster cut off points.

helo i did my kcse in 2010 and addmitted to egrton uni. for a bsc. in 2011 i did the exam again and am seeking to transfer to town campus for a course (bachelor of commerce)is that possible without the normal revision.i did not defer am still continuing with bsc. and the semester is not yet over

Hello,i did my KCSE IN 2010 AND SECURED A PLACE AT University of Nairobi,and the admission letters are not yet out.So i wanted to know when admission letters are going to be released and if it is possible to change and take a different course.

The letter are sent by the individual university, so, you will have to wait or contact the academic registrar if you haven't received your admission letter.

During the first one or two weeks of opening, you will be given an opportunity to change to your desired course, provided you have the minimum cluster points of the course you want to change to. Such arrangements are usually made through the dean of faculty and/or academic registrar's office.

During the first one or two weeks of opening, you will be given an opportunity to change to your desired course, provided you have the minimum cluster points of the course you want to change to. Such arrangements are usually made through the dean of faculty and/or academic registrar's office.

In the first two years, you will learn general aspects of the Arts degree course. This will include sociology, Economics, anthropology, political science, literature and other related aspects. In the third and fourth year, you will get to specialize in any of the above disciplines, depending on your performance, strength and talents.

The cut-off for male students for the 2010 KCSE was 63 points, while the cut off points for female students was 61 points. So, going by the 2010 cut off points, you are safe, since they obviously can't go up by more than a point. If anything, they should stay the same or reduce to absorb more students.

I haven't really understood your question, but I assume you are asking about the career prospects or how much do bachelor of arts students earn once outside in the employment sector.

Bachelor of arts is really wide, and graduates of arts programs are found in such wide arrays such as the media, banks, government civil service, NGOs and the private sector in general. The average starting salary for graduates is between 25,000 and 30,000 kshs per month.

In cases you were asking about the fees, the fees are nearly the same for all regular students and hover between kshs.30,000 and kshs.50,000 depending on which public university you are enrolled in.

Going by your grades, I think you have an overall aggregate of 66 points.

Option 1:Since you seem to be strongest in Math, then a course in Statistics, Pure math, analytical math would seem t be the best fit. So, a course in Bachelor of Science (physical sciences) then specialize in Math in Third and Fourth year seems the best fit.

Option 2:Since you have scored well in Business Studies, a course in any of the business disciplines, Business management, business administration or bachelor of commerce would also be a good fit, then specialize in accounting and Finance in the Third and Fourth year. However, the cut off cluster points for business courses may be higher than what you actually scored.

Option 3:The third option would be to take the Math course (as in statistics, pure Math or analytical math ) and then add with some business certifications such as CPA on the side so that you are flexible to enter the business/accounting/Finance field.

The cluster points for various courses and universities can be obtained here. Note however that the points are for 2009 and preceding years, meaning that the points might have gone up or down for the KCSE class of 2011. Weighted cluster points for various courses.

No, the cut off points are the same for both the day scholars and boarders. The only difference is if you are a male student, you are admitted with a slightly higher cut off points than for female students. For 2010, the cut off points for male students was 63 and females was 61 points. You might also get in with a lower cut off point, say 61 or 62 if you are from a marginalized area, may be Northern Kenya and such regions.

Sociology deals with aspects such as human relations, psychology, human behavior, society organization, criminology etc. You may be employed in the NGO sector, in government provincial administration, in companies, especially the HR department, which tend to in the microfinance sector etc.

The cluster points for various courses and universities can be obtained here. Note however that the points are for 2009 and preceding years, meaning that the points might have gone up or down for the KCSE class of 2011. Weighted cluster points for various courses.

I would suggest that you contact either JAB or the said universities. By now, most of the 2010 KCSE candidates should have their calling letters. KU, JKUAT and some other universities 2010 KCSE students have already joined as Freshers.

The cluster points for various courses and universities can be obtained here. Note however that the points are for 2009 and preceding years, meaning that the points might have gone up or down for the KCSE class of 2011. Weighted cluster points for various courses.

Hi Mr Mabinda?i have two question:1.is it possible to revise your degree choices in your nearest station rather than the provincial headquarter of your former school due to long distance?2.will the 2011 candidates wait until next year for double intake or are we going to receive admission letters this year?

As per last year, the revisions for courses were being conducted either through the JAB offices at the university of Nairobi Main Campus or through the district education provincial headquarters.

For double intake admission, it depends which university you will be admitted to. Some, such as Kenyatta and Kimathi admitted 2010 KCSE students last year, meaning that they will admit 2011 KCSE students this September. Others, such as JKUAT admitted their 2010 KCSE students in January, meaning that the rest will be admitted either later this year or January next year latest.UON is yet to admit its 2010 students, meaning that 2011 students will obviously be admitted next year.

So, long as you got the minimum cut off points needed to join university, be assured that JAB will allocate you a course. Whether you like that course or not is another matter altogether, but at least you are guaranteed a place in any of the public universities/university colleges.

what happen for those students who are admitted in april/may and those admitted in september in the same university,same year.do the may student wait for the september students while still in the campus so that they may start learning together?

hi,i did my kcse in 2011 and scored 63 points,do i have to wait till next year september or we are joining this year.....if so,when are we revising the courses?is there any group of students that will have to join next year?

Most students will be joining in September/October this year. However, some, especially those joining UON, may wait until early next year to join. There will be a first and second revision of courses. The dates will be advertised in the media. As of 4th May, the first revision had not started as yet.

After you revise, then it takes precedence over the courses you had selected in school. So, if you are sure you qualified for the course you had selected while in school, there is no need for revision. Otherwise, you may revise so as to be selected to your dream course.

For female students, it definitely can't go lower than 61 points. Male students may be admitted with a point or two lower(than the 63 for other males), though I'm not privy to the exact admission cut off points for male students from arid areas.

Urban and regional planning graduates may work in real estate management companies, as in companies that manage buildings, apartments, shopping complexes, in construction companies that build roads, buildings and apartments etc. They may also work in NGOs and land organisations as well as in town and city councils as urban estate designers, or in banks as mortgage officers and lenders. Some also end up in the civil service.

Geospatial engineering graduates work in the telecommunication sector, security and surveillance and electronic mapping companies and other communication companies. The market is nearly the same as for electrical/electronics/computer engineering graduates.

Am a guardian to a student who did his K.C.S.E in 2011 and scored a B+ of 67 points. I have two enquiries to make1. Whhat are the cut off points for this group2. When is the revision date3. When are they likely to join the university

Finance and economics graduates work in the Finance, banking, insurance,investment, civil service amongst a host of other private companies. Finance jobs generally pay the highest, but getting the first job may be hard since their are many graduates. However, after the first job, promotion and salary increments are fairly easy.

hi sir.i am a 2011 kcse candidate.i had a B+ but i am confused which course to do.i had the following grades:MATHS B-,ENGLISH A-,KISW B+,CHEM B+,BIOLOGY A-,PHYSICS B,BUSINESS A-,CRE A.is a bachelor of arts a good course for me?is bachelor of arts a marketable course?Which university is best in arts?

You could take a specialization in literature, sociology, international relations, economics or any of the related disciplines. Strong universities in the arts include UON, Moi , Egerton, Maseno, MMUST amongst others. I don't think the quality would differ so much regardless of the university you are admitted to.

It depends on what you want. In the beginning, electrical engineering pays better, if you can get a job within the telecommunications industry.

However, with more experience,say 10 to 15 years, civil engineering is more rewarding, especially for someone that chooses to get a job with the construction companies. You are also likely to utilize the skills you learnt in class more with a civil engineering degree than with an electrical engineering degree. (in Kenya at least).

biostatistics is a combination of math/statistics, biological sciences and computing/programming. In some university, it's known as bioinformatics. It's good if you intend to pursue a career in research in the medical, chemistry and biological field. Some universities offer it as a masters level course, while others offer it as an undergraduate course. It's a fairly new course in Kenya ( at the undergraduate level that is, actually not more than four years old).

Since the degree is within a narrow specialization, if you are not too sure of what you want to pursue, I'd suggests you pursue a wider degree, say a degree in statistics, or in the biological sciences field and then specialize in biostatistics at a later stage; but if you are sure that is what you want from the onset, then go for it.

hi mr mabinda.i was wondering whether i would persue bs.mathematics and computer science in mombasa polytechnic with a cluster of 40.6?also i wondering what good course i would persue with an A in mathematics and A- in physics with such a cluster

am David did K.C.S.E in 2012 and got the following grades Math A, Eng A-, Kisw B, Bio A Chem A, Phyc A- Geo A- Cre A- Agri A- overall 78 points (A-)what is the most marketable course for me and one that will pay well and i love sciences alot you can also email me at macdave84@yahoo.com

hi i did ma kcse last year and got a b+ of 72 points.i had i A in maths,A in pyhsics,B+ in eng,A- in busness,and B+ in geo.help me to knw the corse best for me.and tel me the revision date for the coarse.you can reply to me throuth (waruipeter28@yahoo.com) i will highly appreciate your assistance.and may GOD blss you 4 the good work you are doing.

Hi Sir i got a B of 60 points but failed to meet the jab qualification of 61 points what are the best options i can take because my cluster points 4 the degree that i wanted to pursue had qualified? I do not want to engage myself in a parallel and i really wanted to take a degree course in a public university without taking a parallel degree program.U can contact me via my email address which is daviemunesh@gmail.com

Hi i did my kcse 2012 and waiting to join this september. i brought my original results slip but completely got damaged during lamination process but i had copies of it . pliz advice me how i wil join university without it. email me( mainakibet@gmail.com)

Hi Mr. Mabinda,may i ask which is the most marketable option between the electrical and electronics bit of the general course BSc (electrical and electronics eng) and is it true that engineers graduating with below 2nd class upper are deemed not to be employed in the sector..finaly, is BSc(elec n electronic eng) at Mombasa poly approved by ERB?..thank you!

Hi.. Wow.. This is a very nice website you have here. Wish i had known earlier.. If u could please advice me,,lets say i have been admitted to the Technical university of Mombasa and i want to transfer to the Uon.. How would i do that? Is it possible? I really didnt know when applying and your help would be greatly appreciated because am very stranded

Hi Mabinda,Thanks for the Great work! very useful!Re: Inter-university transfer You have tacked this Q up there, but need some advise here.

I am currently applying for inter-university transfer from Garisa to Technical University of Nairobi (TuK). I have written letters to JAB andTuK and they have signed and agreed to effect the transfer, but the principal from Garisa has refused to sign the letter of transfer.

The principal from Garisa insists that I must wait until 7th Oct 2013, the reporting day for new students. Q: Must I wait until the day freshers report to get my letter signed? Is this the right procedure? TuK freshers reported last month and I am afraid time is running out and I might e forced to defer, or join Garisa. Joining Garisa is not an option for various which I have explained to JAB and TuK and the Principal of Garisa.

My other Question: what else can I do to have my inter-university transfer completed?

Hi admin I'm a first year student at Moi university pursuing a degree in applied statistics with computing,but I'm uncertain of its marketability and payment here in Kenya.Could u please tell me the kind of jobs associated with that field and the monthly salary one is bound to get?thanks in advance

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hi,i scored a B+ of 67 points have been admitted to machakos university college to do environmental studies but it was not among my choices.i love journalism and mass communication is it possible for me to transfer to multimedia university and per-sue it since we have not yet been admitted?plz advise me on how i should go abt this.and also is environmental studies marketable and where can one work,looking foward to hear from you soon.thank you.